What We Do

Slow Food Brisbane holds monthly meetings with guest speakers

who educate us on topical issues and good, clean, fair produce so we can make responsible decisions and make a difference locally.

Slow Food Brisbane Themes:

The themes we actively support, and national and global themes and issues we advocate, on behalf of all, are underpinned by the Slow Food philosophy of Good, Clean and Fair for all.

Gooda fresh and flavorsome seasonal diet that satisfies the senses and is part of our local culture

Clean produced in harmony with the environment and human health

Fairaccessible prices for consumers and fair conditions and pay for small scale producers.

We seek ways to spread the word and emphasise the importance of thinking local, buying local and valuing local.

We do this through

sharing events with members and friends,

inviting guest speakers,

providing taste workshops,

sharing dinners with members and friends to savour the pleasure of eating local produce,

developing a Snail of approval awards* and supporting projects that focus on Slow Food Issues (slowfood.com).

Currently projects include:

one School Kitchen Garden that educates the children in the importance of agriculture, growing plants, harvesting plants and preparing food. A genuine from paddock to plate experience that offers potential for life long learning and of course an appreciation of the pleasure of taste.

a Community Farm (Millen Farm) who engage in good, clean and fair Farming Practices

Here are some of the hot topics and campaigns the Slow Food network of convivia around the world are currently engaging in:

Agriculture. Slow Food promotes a model for agriculture based on a rediscovery of the value of local agriculture, the short distribution chain, and locally closed cycles of production and consumption. It is a model that prioritizes soil fertility, the presence of people in the countryside and biodiversity protection.

Animal Welfare. Each year the welfare of billions of animals raised for their meat, milk and eggs for human consumption is seriously compromised. We believe that animals used for food should be given a life free of pain and fear in which they are free to express their natural behaviors.

Bees. Slow Food works to raise awareness of the dramatic decline of global bee populations and is calling for an end to the use of harmful pesticides and biodiversity destruction associated with this decline.

Biodiversity. Slow Food has always promoted the defence of biodiversity, focusing its attention not only on wild species, but also on domestic species (the fruit of thousands of years of selection by peasant and pastoral communities) and traditional processed products (the fruit of knowledge handed down from generation to generation).

Climate Change. Slow Food believes that one way to fight and prevent climate change is to move away from the industrial agrifood system and adopt sustainable agricultural practices.

Family Farming. We believe that family forms can play a key role in addressing many of the serious food problems affecting our planet, by preserving biodiversity, ensuring food security and managing natural resources without exhausting them.

Food Waste. In a world where millions are undernourished and resources are limited, reducing food waste is an essential step towards achieving a sustainable food system.

GMOs. Slow Food is against the commercial planting of genetically modified (GM) crops and works to promote GM-free food and animal feed.

Labelling. Slow Food has always underlined the importance of labeling food products clearly. Clear labeling allows consumers to make informed decisions and producers to emphasize the specific qualities of their product.

Land Grabbing. With the global population growing exponentially, access to land and water are the keys to food sovereignty. We cannot allow land to be treated like any other commodity and subjected to the rules of the free market. Oru land grabbing campaign aims to bring the phenomenon to light.

Responsible Consumption. Slow Food believes that consumers can use their buying power to influence supply and production methods. Slow Food believes that consumers should show an active interest in food and the people who produce it, the methods they use and the problems they face.

Seeds. Selecting and producing seeds means continuing the fertility cycle and ensuring the availability of crops for the subsequent year. Since the selection of seeds entails choosing the best fruits, the process helps to improve plant and seed varieties which, year after year, will continue to progress in terms of weight, yield and capacity to germinate.

Slow Cheese. Every year we are loosing cheese types, livestock breeds, pastures, herders, skills and ancient knowledge. Slow Food is taking a stand to support the rights of small scale producers around the world who produce traditional and row milk cheese and dairy products, particularly in countries where strict government hygiene regulations threaten their livelihoods.

Slow Meat. Slow Food believes that the way meat is produced and consumed in the current system is unsustainable, with detrimental effects on the environment, human health, animal welfare and small scale farmers. Our solution: eat less and better meat, pay a fair price and always consider the origin.

Slow Fish. Slow Food believes that small-scale fishers form an essential part of fragile aquatic ecosystems that must be protected along with the biodiversity of marine species. Throughthe Slow Fish campaign, we are working to promote artisanal fishing and neglected fish species.